Panty with pile center panel



Feb. 13, 1968 s. c. SCHEIER PANTY WITH FILE CENTER PANEL 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fild June 6, 1966 INVENTOR. STANLEY C. 3045x212 BYg/wttfi i f ATTORNEYS Feb. 13, 1968 s. c. SCHEIER PANTY WITH FILE CENTER PANEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1966 INVENTOR.

v $TANLE-Y C. SQHEHEE BYM JM, J1m,flw/mi Ai 4 QM Q A ATTORNEYS United States Patent Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 471,216,

July 12, 1965. This application June 6, 1966, Ser. No. 555,612

9 Claims. (Cl. 128--288) This application is a c-ontinuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 471,216, filed July 12, 1965, and entitled Pile Diaper.

The present invention relates to panty-type garments and more particularly to those panties of the so-called training panty type for infants progressing out of the diaper-wearing stage and for certain adults who have need of an adult diaper.

In panties of this type, it is desirable to have a high degree of absorbency in the panty and particularly in the central portion thereof. Considerable difficulty and failure has heretofore been encountered in obtaining this desired degree of absorbency without excessive bulkiness and a material sacrifice in wearer comfort.

The most commonly used expedient in prior attempts to provide this desired absorbency is a pad or insert removably positioned and attached in the crotch area of a specially constructed panty. Such pads have many undesirable features including the difficulty encountered in replacing the same, the discomfort to the wearer due to the excessive bulkiness in the crotch portion of the panty, and the relatively expensive nature thereof.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel panty which provides the desired high degree absorbency without relying upon bulky pads or inserts and which provides increased softness and less bulkiness than prior panties to provide enhanced wearer comfort.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a panty of the character described having an inner pile surface at least in the crotch portion thereof and wherein the panty and/or pile surface may be formed of a variety of materials for achieving the desired characteristics of high absorbency, softness and wearer comfort not heretofore achievable in panties of this type.

A further more specific object of the present invention is to provide a panty of the character described wherein girthwise stretchability is provdied in side portions thereof and lengthwise stretchability is provided in the central portion thereof, and wherein the central portion has an inner pile surface constructed and arranged so as not to interfere with or materially inhibit the stretchability of the central portion.

A still more specific object of the present invention is to provide a panty having an inner pile surface on suitable pliable material forming the central portion thereof and wherein the pile surface is formed of hydrophobic material and the pliable material is formed ofhydrophilic material to provide for wicking of moisture away from the wearers skin and adsorption thereof in spaced relation thereto for enhanced wearer comfort.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a panty incorporating the features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, partially schematic, isometric view of a portion of the pile area of the panty shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a pile area similar to that shown in FIGURE 3 wherein the base is formed of knit fabric;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the pile area Shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 of another embodiment of panty incorporating the features of the present invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 77 in FIGURE 6.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is. shown a panty 10 constructed and arranged to be self-sustaining and to be easily placeable on and removable from an infant without the necessity of pinning or the like. Panty 10 includes front and rear portions 11, 12 which are connected by and preferably are integral with a crotch portion 13 extending therebetween. Side portions 14 and 15 are respectively connected along one of the sides thereof to opposite sides of the front portion 11 by seams 16 and 17, respectively, and along the other sides thereof to opposite sides of rear portion 12 by seams 20 and 21 (FIGURE 2).

The upper ends of the front, rear and side portions are covered and finished by a waistband 22 extending thereover, and seamed thereto. Waistband 22 defines therewithin a waist aperture at the top of the panty 10.

The lower ends of the side portions 14 and 15 and opposite sides of the crotch portion 13 are fashioned and are covered and finished by leg bands 23 and 24, respectively, seamed thereto. Leg bands 23, 24 define therewithin leg apertures for receipt of the legs of a wearer.

Side portions 14 and 15 may be formed of any suitable pliable material to provide the desired characteristics of fitability and wearer comfort. Preferably, these side portions 14 and 15 are formed of knit fabricof any desired number of layers, with the embodiment shown in the drawings having two layers 14a, 14b and 15a, 15b, respectively. In the side portions 14 and 15, the knit fabric has inherent coursewise stretchability and is preferably arranged so that the walewise direction thereof extends vertically between the waistband 22 and the leg bands 23 and 24, and the coursewise direction thereof extends girthwise of the panty 10. Therefore, the inherent stretchability of the knit fabric is in the girthwise direction to provide a better fit of the panty 10 on a wearer in this direction.

Also, the waistband 22 and leg bands 23 and 24 are preferably formed of knit fabric having inherent coursewise stretchability and are arranged so that the coursewise. direction thereof extends longitudinally thereof. Therefore, the inherent stretchability of the waistband 22 and the leg band 23, 24 is in a direction around the apertures defined thereby.

In accordance with the present invention, the front, rear and crotch portions 11, 12 and 13 are formed of suitable pliable material and at least the crotch portion 13.of panty 10 has raised pile on the inner surface thereof to provide the aforementioned highly desirable features or characteristics for panties of this type, such as increased absorbency, softness, and/ or wearer comfort, not heretofore provided by conventional panties. In the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the front and rear portions 11 and 12 as well as the crotch portion 13 have in the drawings, base 30 is formed of two layers 32, 33 of this knit fabric with the layers arranged to have the walewise direction thereof extending horizontally or girthwise of the panty and perpendicular to the walewise direction of the knit fabric in the side portions 14 and 15. Therefore, the coursewise direction of base extends from the waistband 22 vertically within the front portion 11 through the crotch portion 13 and vertically in the rear portion 12 whereby the inherent stretchability in the knit fabric extends from waistband to waistband to provide vertical stretchability in the panty and a better and more conforming fit on a wearer.

The pile yarns 31 are preferably inserted through the base 30 by a machine of the type illustrated in US. Patent No. 3,174,308. These pile yarns 31 form pile, preferably in the form of pile loops 34, on one surface of the base 30 and are interknit and form generally parallel stitch loop chains on the other surface of base 30. The pile loops 34 are arranged in generally parallel rows extending walewise of the knit fabric of base 30 and with the loops in each row being disposed in a zig-zag pattern. In this respect, each of the pile loops 34 in each row extends diagonally of the row and has opposing leg portions thereof penetrating the base at spaced points, and adjacent pile loops in each row have adjacent leg portions penetrating the base at a common point at one side of the row and distal leg portions penetrating the base at spaced points at the opposite side of the row. Also, the points of penetration of the base 30 by the leg portions of the pile loops in one row and the proximal leg portions of the pile loops in the adjacent row are aligned longitudinally of the rows. Therefore, alternate stitch loops in the stitch loop chains 35 are formed of the pile yarn 31 forming one row of pile loops 34 while the intervening stitch loops in the stitch loop chains 35 are formed of the pile yarn 31 forming an adjacent row of pile loops 34. By this arrangement, more complete coverage of the surface of the base 30 is provided since all portions of the base are confined within or beneath the pile loops 34. Also, by the nature of the pile loops 34 and the arrangement of the rows in the walewise direction of the knit fabric of base 30, pile yarns 31 do not interfere with the inherent stretchability of the knit fabric and permit the fabric to stretch without any deleterious effect on the pile surface except for a temporary flattening of the pile loops 34 which generally return to their raised condition when the stretching force is released from the knit fabric.

Similarly to the base 30, the pile yarns 31 may be formed of any desired material depending upon the characteristi-cs desired in the pile area of the panty. In this respect, if softness and absorbency are the characteristics desired for this pile area, the pile yarns should be formed of hydrophilic material and, in this case, these yarns are preferably formed of water swellable cellulosic material, such as staple viscose rayon. Also, these pile yarns preferably have a size within the range of about 3/1 and 25/ 1 (Cotton Count) to provide the degree of absorbency desired and provide more complete coverage of the surface of the base 30. Due to the special structural characteristics of the pile area, these pile yarns may also have very low twist therein which greatly enhances both the softness and absorbency of the pile surface of the panty 10. In this respect, pile yarns 31 preferably have a twist multiple (turns per inch divided by the square root of the yarn size) of no more than 3.5.

If other characteristics, such as a relatively dry inner surface are desired for the panty 10, pile yarns 31 may be formed of hydrophobic material, such as polypropylene, and if so, the base 30 should be formed of hydrophilic material to provide the desired absorbency. With such a panty, the hydrophobic pile yarns serve to wick the moisture from adjacent the skin of the wearer into base 30 which absorbs the moisture in spaced relation to the wearers skin. This provides a relatively moisture free or dry surface against the skin of the wearer and materially increases wearer comfort and decreases the incidence of certain skin maladies, such as diaper rash and the like.

As shown in FIGURES l and 2, the interknit stitch loop chains 35 are disposed on the outer surface of the front, rear and crotch portions 11, 12 and 13 and form somewhat raised transverse ridges thereon. For esthetic as well as other reasons, it may be desirable to cover these interknit stitch loop chains and with this in View, FIG- URES 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the panty incorporating the features of the present invention. This panty is generally indicated at 10 and corresponds to the panty 10 in all respects except that an additional layer 40 of suitable pliable material is added on the outer surface of front, rear and crotch portions 11, 12', and 13'. Preferably, this layer 40 is also formed of knit fabric having inherent coursewise stretchability and has the walewise and coursewise directions oriented in a common direction to the knit fabric forming base 30' of the front, rear and crotch portions.

It is, therefore, believed apparent that the present invention provides a novel panty having the desired softness and absorbency without excessive bulkiness and with a conforming fit on the wearer for increased wearer comfort.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

Iclaim:

1. A panty adaptable for use on an infant comprising Ifront, rear, crotch and side portions formed of pliable material and being secured together to form a self-sustaining panty having waist and leg apertures and which may be easily placed on and removed from an infant without the necessity of pinning or the like, and pile yarns penetrating through the pliable material in at least the crotch portion and forming raised pile on one surface of the pliable material defining the inner surface of the panty and interknit stitch loop chains on the other surface of the pliable material for anchoring the pile yarns thereto.

2. A panty according to claim 1 wherein said pile yarns additionally penetrate through the pliable material forming the front and rear portions of the panty, and said raised pile formed thereby extends throughout a major portion of the inner surfaces of the front, rear and crotch portions of the panty.

3. A panty according to claim 2 wherein the pliable material forming said front, rear and crotch portions comprises a plurality of layers of hydrophilic material.

4. A panty according to claim 1 wherein the pliable material forming the front, rear and crotch portions is knit fabric having inherent coursewise stretchability, and wherein said stitch loop chains formed in said pile yarns extend walewise of the knit fabric so as not to interfere with the inherent coursewise stretchability thereof.

5. A panty according to claim 4 wherein the pliable material forming said side portions is also knit fabric having inherent coursewise stretchability, wherein the coursewise direction of the knit fabric forming said side portions extends girthwise of the panty, and wherein the coursewise direction of the knit fabric forming said front, rear and crotch portions extends lengthwise of the panty, to provide two-.way stretchability in the panty.

6. A panty according to claim 5 wherein the knit fabric forming said front, rear and crotch portions comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein the surface of the knit fabric having the stitch loop chains thereon defines the outer surface of the panty.

7. A panty according to claim 5 wherein the knit (fabric forming said front, rear and crotch portions com-prises a plurality of layers through which the pile yarns penetrate, and including an additional layer of knit fabric disposed in covering relation to the surface of the plurality of layers having the stitch loop chains thereon to define a smooth outer surface of the panty.

8 A panty according to claim 1 wherein said raised pile is in the form of pile loops arranged in [generally parallel rows on the inner surface of the pliable material, the pile loops in each row being arranged in a zigzag pattern with each of the pile loops extending diagonally of the row and having opposing leg portions penetrating the pliable material at spaced points, and adjacert pile loops in each row having adjacent leg portions penetrating the pliable material at a common point at one side of the row and distal leg portions penetrating the pliable material at spaced points at the opposite side of the row.

9. A panty according to claim 1 wherein said pile yarns forming said raised pile on the inner surface of References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,331,289 1 0/1943 Amidon 6685 2,890,579 6/1959 Mauersberger 66-85 3,237,625 3/1966 Johnson l28288 3,253,426 5/1966 Mauersberger 6685 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

C. F. ROSENBAUM, Examiner. 

1. A PANTY ADAPTABLE FOR USE ON AN INFANT COMPRISING FRONT, REAR, CROTCH AND SIDE PORTIONS FORMED OF PLIABLE MATERIAL AND BEING SCREWED TOGETHER TO FORM A SELF-SUSTAINING PANTY HAVING WAIST AND LEG APERTURES AND WHICH MAY BE EASILY PLACED ON AND REMOVED FROM AN INFANT WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF PINNING OR THE LIKE, AND PILE YARNS PENETRATING THROUGH THE PLIABLE MATERIAL IN AT LEAST THE CROTCH PORTION AND FORMING RAISED PILE ON ONE SURFACE OF THE PLIABLE MATERIAL DEFINING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE PANTY AND INTERKNIT STITCH LOOP CHAINS ON THE OTHER SURFACE OF THE PLIABLE MATERIAL FOR ANCHORING THE PILE YARNS THERETO. 